Chapter II.

Containing three other arguments.

Arg. III. If
Jesus Christ died for all men, — that is, purchased and procured for them,
according to the mind and will of God, all those things which we recounted,
and the Scripture setteth forth, to be the effects and fruits of his death,
which may be summed up in this one phrase, “eternal redemption,” —
then he did this, and that according to the purpose of God, either
absolutely or upon some condition by them to be
fulfilled. If absolutely, then ought all and every one,
absolutely and infallibly, to be made actual partakers of that eternal
redemption so purchased; for what, I pray, should hinder the enjoyment of
that to any which God absolutely intended, and Christ absolutely purchased
for them? If upon condition, then he did either procure this
condition for them, or he did not? If he did procure this condition for
them, — that is, that it should be bestowed on them and wrought within
them, — then he did it either absolutely again, or upon a condition. If
absolutely, then are we as we were before; for to procure any
thing for another, to be conferred on him 241upon such a
condition, and withal to procure that condition absolutely to be bestowed
on him, is equivalent to the absolute procuring of the thing itself. For
so we affirm, in this very business: Christ procured salvation for us, to
be bestowed conditionally, if we do believe; but faith itself,
that he hath absolutely procured, without prescribing of any
condition. Whence we affirm, that the purchasing of salvation for us is
equivalent to what it would have been if it had been so purchased as to
have been absolutely bestowed, in respect of the event and issue. So that
thus also must all be absolutely saved. But if this condition be
procured upon condition, let that be assigned, and we will renew
our quære concerning the
procuring of that, whether it were absolute or conditional, and so never
rest until they come to fix somewhere, or still run into a circle.

But, on the other side, is not this condition
procured by him on whose performance all the good things purchased by him
are to be actually enjoyed? Then, first, This condition must be made known
to all, as Arg. ii. Secondly, All men are able of themselves to perform
this condition, or they are not. If they are, then, seeing that condition
is faith in the promises, as is on all sides confessed, are all men of
themselves, by the power of their own free-will, able to believe; which is
contrary to the Scriptures, as, by the Lord’s assistance, shall be
declared. If they cannot, but that this faith must be bestowed on them and
wrought within them by the free grace of God, then when God gave his Son to
die for them, to procure eternal redemption for them all, upon condition
that they did believe, he either purposed to work faith in them all by his
grace, that they might believe, or he did not? If he did, why doth not he
actually perform it, seeing “he is of one mind, and who can turn him?” why do not all
believe? why have not all men faith? Or doth he fail of his purpose? If
he did not purpose to bestow faith on them all, or (which is all one) if he
purposed not to bestow faith on all (for the will of God doth not consist
in a pure negation of any thing, — what he doth not will that it should be,
he wills that it should not be), then the sum of it comes to this:— That
God gave Christ to die for all men, but upon this condition, that they
perform that which of themselves without him they cannot perform, and
purposed that, for his part, he would not accomplish it in them.

Now, if this be not extreme madness, to assign a will unto
God of doing that which himself knows and orders that it shall never be
done, of granting a thing upon a condition which without his help cannot be
fulfilled, and which help he purposed not to grant, let all judge. Is this
any thing but to delude poor creatures? Is it possible that any good at
all should arise to any by such a purpose as this, such a giving of a
Redeemer? Is it agreeable to the goodness of God to intend so great a good
as is the redemption purchased 242by Christ, and to pretend that
he would have it profitable for them, when he knows that they can no more
fulfil the condition which he requires, that it may be by them enjoyed,
than Lazarus could of himself come out of the grave? Doth it beseem the
wisdom of God, to purpose that which he knows shall never be fulfilled? If
a man should promise to give a thousand pounds to a blind man upon
condition that he will open his eyes and see, — which he knows well enough
he cannot do, — were that promise to be supposed to come from a
heart-pitying of his poverty, and not rather from a mind to illude and mock
at his misery? If the king should promise to pay a ransom for the captives
at Algiers, upon condition that they would conquer their tyrants and come
away, — which he knows full well they cannot do, — were this a kingly act?
Or, as if a man should pay a price to redeem captives, but not that their
chains may be taken away, without which they cannot come out of prison; or
promise dead men great rewards upon condition they live again of
themselves; — are not these to as much end as the obtaining of salvation
for men upon condition that they do believe, without obtaining that
condition for them? Were not this the assigning such a will and purpose as
this to Jesus Christ:— “I will obtain eternal life to be bestowed on men,
and become theirs, by the application of the benefits of my death; but upon
this condition, that they do believe. But as I will not reveal my mind and
will in this business, nor this condition itself, to innumerable of them,
so concerning the rest I know they are no ways able of themselves, — no
more than Lazarus was to rise, or a blind man is to see, — to perform the
condition that I do require, and without which none of the good things
intended for them can ever become theirs; neither will I procure that
condition ever to be fulfilled in them. That is, I do will that that shall
be done which I do not only know shall never be done, but that it cannot be
done, because I will not do that without which it can never be
accomplished”? Now, whether such a will and purpose as this beseem the
wisdom and goodness of our Saviour, let the reader judge. In brief; an
intention of doing good unto any one upon the performance of such a
condition as the intender knows is absolutely above the strength of him of
whom it is required, — especially if he know that it can no way be done but
by his concurrence, and he is resolved not to yield that assistance which
is necessary to the actual accomplishment of it, — is a vain fruitless
flourish. That Christ, then, should obtain of his Father eternal
redemption, and the Lord should through his Son intend it for them who
shall never be made partakers of it, because they cannot perform, and God
and Christ have purposed not to bestow, the condition on which alone it is
to be made actually theirs, is unworthy of Christ, and unprofitable to them
for whom it is obtained; which that any thing that Christ obtained for the
sons of men should be 243unto them, is a hard saying indeed.
Again; if God through Christ purpose to save all if they do believe,
because he died for all, and this faith be not purchased by Christ, nor are
men able of themselves to believe, how comes it to pass that any are
saved?

[If it be answered], “God bestows faith on some, not on
others,” I reply, Is this distinguishing grace purchased for those some
comparatively, in respect of those that are passed by without it? If it
be, then did not Christ die equally for all, for he died that some might
have faith, not others; yea, in comparison, he cannot be said to die for
those other some at all, not dying that they might have faith, without
which he knew that all the rest would be unprofitable and fruitless. But
is it not purchased for them by Christ? Then have those that be
saved no more to thank Christ for than those that are damned; which were
strange, and contrary to Rev. i. 5,
6, “Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father,”
etc. For my part, I do conceive that Christ hath obtained salvation for
men, not upon condition if they would receive it, but so fully and
perfectly that certainly they should receive it. He purchased
salvation, to be bestowed on them that do believe; but withal
faith, that they might believe. Neither can it be objected, that,
according to our doctrine, God requires any thing of men that they cannot
do, yea, faith to believe in Christ: for, — First, Commands do not signify
what is God’s intention should be done, but what is our duty to do; which
may be made known to us whether we be able to perform it or not: it
signifieth no intention or purpose of God. Secondly, For the promises
which are proposed together with the command to believe:— First,
they do not hold out the intent and purpose of God, that Christ should die
for us if we do believe; which is absurd, — that the act should be the
constituter of its own object, which must be before it, and is presupposed
to be before we are desired to believe it: nor, secondly, the
purpose of God that the death of Christ should be profitable to us if we do
believe; which we before confuted: but, thirdly, only that faith is
the way to salvation which God hath appointed; so that all that do believe
shall undoubtedly be saved, these two things, faith and salvation, being
inseparably linked together, as shall be declared.

Arg. IV. If
all mankind be, in and by the eternal purpose of God, distinguished into
two sorts and conditions, severally and distinctly described and set forth
in the Scripture, and Christ be peculiarly affirmed to die for one of these
sorts, and nowhere for them of the other, then did he not die for all; for
of the one sort he dies for all and every one, and of the other for no one
at all. But, —

First, There is such a discriminating distinguishment among
men, by the eternal purpose of God, as those whom he “loves” and those whom he “hates,” Rom. ix. 13;
whom he “knoweth,” and whom 244he “knoweth not:” John x. 14, “I know my sheep;” 2 Tim. ii.
19, “The Lord knoweth them that are his;” Rom. viii. 29, “Whom he did foreknow;” chap. xi. 2, “His people which he foreknew;” “I know you not,” Matt. xxv.
12: so John xiii.
18, “I speak not of you all; I know whom I have chosen.” Those
that are appointed to life and glory, and those that are appointed to and
fitted for destruction, — “elect” and “reprobate;” those that were
“ordained to eternal
life,” and those who “before
were of old ordained to condemnation:” as Eph.
i. 4, “He hath chosen us in
him;” Acts xiii.
48, “Ordained to eternal life;” Rom. viii.
30, “Whom he did predestinate,
them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom
he justified, them he also glorified.” So, on the other side,
1 Thess. v. 9, “God hath not appointed us
to wrath, but to obtain salvation;” Rom.
ix. 18–21, “He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he
hardeneth. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For
who hath resisted his will? Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest
against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast
thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same
lump to make one vessel to honour, and another to dishonour?”
Jude 4, “Ordained
to this condemnation;” 2 Pet. ii.
12, “Made to be taken and destroyed;” “Sheep and goats,” Matt. xxv. 32; John
x. passim. Those on whom he hath “mercy,” and those whom he “hardeneth,” Rom. ix. 18.
Those that are his “peculiar people” and “the
children of promise,” that are “not of the world,” his “church;” and those that, in opposition to them, are “the
world,” “not prayed for,” “not his people:” as Tit. ii.
14; Gal. iv. 28; John xv. 19, xvii.
9; Col. i. 24; John xi.
52; Heb. ii. 10, 12, 13.
Which distinction of men is everywhere ascribed to the purpose, will, and
good pleasure of God: Prov. xvi.
4, “The Lord hath made all things for
himself, even the wicked for the day of evil.” Matt. xi. 25, 26, “I thank thee, O
Father, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and
hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father; for so it seemed good in
thy sight.” Rom. ix. 11,
12, “The children being not yet born, neither having done any good
or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of
works, but of him that calleth; it was said unto her, The elder shall serve
the younger.” Verses 16,
17, “So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth,
but of God that showeth mercy. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even
for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in
thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the
earth.” Chap. viii.
28–30, “Who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did
foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son,
that he might be the first-born among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did
predestinate, them he also called: 245and whom he called, them he
also justified: and whom he justified them he also glorified.”
So that the first part of the proposition is clear from the Scripture.

Now, Christ is said expressly and punctually to die for
them on the one side: for his “people,” Matt. i.
21; his “sheep,” John x. 11, 14;
his “church,”
Acts xx. 28, Eph. v.
25, as distinguished from the world, Rom. v. 8,
9, John
xi. 51, 52; his “elect,” Rom. viii.
32–34; his “children,” Heb. ii. 12,
13; — as before more at large. Whence we may surely conclude
that Christ died not for all and every one, — to wit, not for those he
“never knew,”
whom he “hateth,” whom he
“hardeneth,” on
whom he “will not show mercy,” who “were
before of old ordained to condemnation;” in a word, for a
reprobate, for the world, for which he would not pray. That which some
except, that though Christ be said to die for his “sheep,” for his “elect,” his “chosen,” yet he is not said to die for them
only, — that
term is nowhere expressed, is of no value; for is it not without any forced
interpretation, in common sense, and according to the usual course of
speaking, to distinguish men into two such opposite conditions as elect and
reprobate, sheep and goats, and then affirm that he died for his elect, [is
it not] equivalent to this, he died for his elect only? Is not the sense
as clearly restrained as if that restrictive term had been added? Or is
that term always added in the Scripture in every indefinite assertion,
which yet must of necessity be limited and restrained as if it were
expressly added? as where our Saviour saith, “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” John xiv. 6; — he doth not say that
he only is so, and yet of necessity it must be so understood. As
also in that, Col. i. 19, “It pleased the Father that in him should all fulness
dwell;” — he doth not express the limitation “only,” and yet it
were no less than blasphemy to suppose a possibility of extending the
affirmation to any other. So that this exception, notwithstanding this
argument, is, as far as I can see, unanswerable; which also might be
farther urged by a more large explication of God’s purpose of election and
reprobation, showing how the death of Christ was a means set apart and
appointed for the saving of his elect, and not at all undergone and
suffered for those which, in his eternal counsel, he did determine should
perish for their sins, and so never be made partakers of the benefits
thereof. But of this more must be spoken, if the Lord preserve us, and
give assistance for the other part of this controversy, concerning the
cause of sending Christ.

Arg. V. That
is not to be asserted and affirmed which the Scripture doth not anywhere go
before us in; but the Scripture nowhere saith Christ died for all
men, much less for all and every man (between which two there is a
wide difference, as shall be declared): therefore, this is not to be
asserted. It is true, Christ is said to give his life “a ransom for all,” but nowhere for all
men. And because it 246is affirmed expressly in other places
that he died for many, for his church, for them that
believe, for the children that God gave him, for
us, some of all sorts, though not expressly, yet clearly in terms
equivalent, Rev. v. 9,
10, it must be clearly proved that where all is
mentioned, it cannot be taken for all believers, all his elect, his whole
church, all the children that God gave him, some of all sorts, before a
universal affirmative can be thence concluded. And if men will but
consider the particular places, and contain themselves until they have done
what is required, we shall be at quiet, I am persuaded, in this
business.